Rules changes offered for disabled-access vehicles

Paula Austin picks up a passenger in her cab on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Under new rules proposed by city officials, 2 percent of for-hire vehicles in Houston would need to accommodate disabled passengers. ( J. Patric Schneider / For the Chronicle )

At least 2 percent of vehicles for hire in Houston would be capable of serving disabled passengers who require special treatment under revised rules proposed by city officials.

Far more than 2 percent of Houston cabs and limousines are accessible to disabled passengers now.

Service to the disabled was one of the chief concerns expressed by City Council members as they debated regulatory changes that would open the local market to new companies such as Lyft and Uber. The companies pair drivers using their own vehicles with customers interested in hitching a ride. Lyft and Uber use smartphone applications to pair drivers and riders, then take a cut of what the rider pays.

Cab companies have staunchly opposed the companies’ entrance into the Houston area, citing concerns with their driver procedures and liability insurance. Cindy Clifford, spokeswoman for Houston Transportation Corporation — the city’s largest cab company and parent of Yellow Cab — said the company received the revised rules Tuesday and was reviewing them.

Other than the provisions for the disabled, little of the 140-page Chapter 46 of the city code changed since council members delayed a decision last month. Beyond the 2 percent standard, the regulations would require city officials to periodically gauge the demand and progress of disabled for-hire vehicle availability.

Yellow Cab alone already meets the 2 percent threshold for the entire city, in part because the agency is a provider of disabled rides for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which pays for rides for some clients. According to a 2013 study, Yellow Cab has more than 200 vehicles compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and equipped with wheelchair lifts.

Currently the city has fewer than 2,500 taxi permits and fewer than 1,900 limo permits issued. It would take more than 5,000 new vehicles entering the paid ride business before the industry would risk having too few vehicles to meet the 2 percent standard.

Meanwhile, the popularity of Uber, Lyft and cab-sponsored smartphone apps is growing. Uber, which does not disclose details of its business, said it pleased with the use and number of drivers interested in partnering with the company.